title: Molecular characterization of the human T cell lymphotropic virus type 2 long terminal repeat region: A discussion about possible influences at viral gene expression.
abstract: This study aimed to identify nucleotide signatures in the promoter region of human T cell lymphotropic virus type 2 (HTLV-2) isolated from infected individuals from Salvador, Brazil and in sequences from the GenBank database. DNA samples from HTLV-2-infected individuals were submitted to nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequencing, and molecular analyses were performed using bioinformatics tools. The phylogeny of HTLV-2 strains isolated from patients from Salvador reveals that all sequences were subtype c. One hundred and fifty-one sequences from GenBank were selected, among which 30 belong to subtype a, 88 to subtype b, 32 to subtype c, and one to subtype d. Subtype-specific signatures were identified as well as mutations resulting in loss or gain of motifs important to transcription regulation. The subtypes a and b have two E box motifs, while subtypes c and d have only one. These polymorphisms may impact viral fitness and infection outcome and should be more closely investigated.
authors.affiliation: 1 Laboratório Hematologia, Genética e Biologia Computacional, Centro de Pesquisa Gonçalo Moniz , Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil .
authors.forename: Fernanda K
authors.initials: FK
authors.lastname: Barreto
authors.forename: Felipe F A
authors.initials: FF
authors.lastname: Rego
authors.forename: Loianna M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Fonseca
authors.forename: Bernardo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Galvão-Castro-Filho
authors.forename: Thessika H A
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Araújo
authors.forename: Aline Cristina A
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Mota-Miranda
authors.forename: Joana P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Monteiro-Cunha
authors.forename: Luiz Carlos J
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Alcantara
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D001938:Brazil; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics*; D015870:Gene Expression; D014644:Genetic Variation; D015367:Human T-lymphotropic virus 2 / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D020079:Terminal Repeat Sequences / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral